Archive | May, 2010

According to a recent study carried out by the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Disease (NIAID) around 30 percent of Americans suffer from food allergies. Food allergies are often diagnosed through various skin tests. But MIT Chemical Engineer Christopher Love believes he has found and introduced a new and better way to diagnose food allergies. The new technology look into individual immune cells taken out from patients, for food allergies took place through milk and peanuts. They show a correct measurement of the cell’s outcome through such allergens. Through this novel technology food allergies could be diagnosed with an ordinary blood test. This test would be faster and reliable from the tests being taken now-a-days. A lot of time is lost now-a-days in diagnosing the correct cause of the allergens. According to May 12 edition of Journal of the American Medical Association, in U.S. 6 to 8 percent of children under the age of four and 4 percent of kids of age five or older suffer from at least one food allergy. Random studies have divulged that most of the allergens take place due to eggs, milk, peanuts and soy. Most of the food allergies take place when a protein in food is mistaken by our immune system as a harmful substance. These food allergens affect could be seen in a person by way of hives, rashes, gastrointestinal debacle and difficulty in breathing. Some allergies could be life-threatening and need immediate medical attention.

Those persons who are diagnosed for food allergies have to undergo a skin test. In this method small quantity of potential allergens are put under the skin of the patient’s arm. During this test, if a patient’s blood has found to be some antibodies of particular allergens, the person suspected for all allergens would start feeling redness and itching at that particular spot. This itchiness occurs due to the release of histamines. But this test has a drawback, for example the presence of antibodies would not always mean that patient is allergic to that particular substance.

However, Love’s new technology follows’ some other approaches. In this new methodology instead of looking for antibodies, the system detects patient’s immune cells for tiny proteins called cytokines. In this test blood is drawn from the patient while white blood cells are isolated from the sample. They after being placed into around 100,000 individual cells are exposed to potential allergens. By employing these technique researchers take “prints” of the cytokines which are produced by every cell. Through this process amount of cytokines so secreted by individual cells is correctly measured. According to Amal Assa’ad Professor of Pediatric immunology and allergy, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, the technique to measure an individual’s immune cell is a great advancement. To fully test the implications these allergens “Would have to be tested on multiple patients in an effort to see the association with clinical allergy.

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Dengue fever also known as “breakbone” or “dandyfever” could be described as an acute illness which could catch a person unknowingly. This condition shows symptoms like fever, headache, severe joint and muscle pain, rashes and exhaustion. People with low level of immunity are prone to this condition. This disease is usually caused by one of the four serotypes of viruses. A person can catch dengue fever multiple times, but this attack generate immunity for lifelong to that particular serotype for which the patient was exposed. A person can get dengue virus when Aedes aegypti from the mosquito bite which has previously bitten an infected person. Mosquitoes usually originate during rainy seasons and can breed in water-filled flower pits, cans, plastic bags etc. Even a mosquito bite from a single mosquito can mete out the disease. The virus is not communicable thus can’t be spread from one person to the other directly. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a severe form of viral illness. The signs of hemorrhage include bleeding in the nose or gums, black stools, rashes and bruising. This form can be dangerous and can take one’s life.

According to a new research from Imperial College London, published in the May 6 edition of the Journal Science, it has been revealed that some of the human immune system’s defenses through which a person get dengue fever in reality helps in spreading the virus in more cells. This revelation after the research would help in preparing much more powerful vaccine against the dengue virus. The study also focused on the fact that why people at large who get dengue fever the second time have severe and dangerous symptoms. Dengue fever is prevalent in sub-tropical and tropical regions of South East Asia and South America.

With the passage of time the incidence of this fever has increased to a large extent in the last century and now two fifths of the world’s population is at a greater risk from this condition, World Health Organization revealed recently. Till date there is no licensed vaccine available to combat this disease.

This research also identified a set of antibodies, which are created by the human immune system to combat dengue virus, scientists are of the opinion these should not be included in any new vaccine to avert dengue fever. The lead author of the study Professor Gavin Screaton, is of the opinion that a large proportion of the world’s population has risk of getting dengue fever, though its treatment has improved a lot, it could be a painful disease and people are dying from it. But our new research has provided us important information to combat with the dengue virus. Our research will help scientists to create an effective vaccine for this dreaded disease.

Presently there is no special treatment or vaccine available for dengue fever. But precautions like aerosol and liquid spray could be applied directly to the mosquito apart from using mosquito mats and coils.

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Herbspro.com, founded in 2004, is a leading direct-to-consumer online retailer with over 10000 products in vitamin, mineral, herbal, diet and natural cosmetic products. Herbspro.com takes pride in being able to offer these top brand products at a highly affordable price. Herbspro.com currently distributes products from over 1000 nationally renowned manufacturers.

We have often heard the term cholesterol in our day today conversations. Doctors also suggest patients to check their cholesterol level. But most of the people fail to understand the role of cholesterol in their body. Did you know 80% of our body’s cholesterol is produced by the liver and rest come from the diet? Cholesterol is naturally formed by the body despite being a chemical compound it serves as a building block for the cell membranes too. Dietary cholesterol often comes from fish, meat, poultry and dairy products. It is said that organ meats usually contain high level of cholesterol content, while foods having plant origin do not contain any cholesterol content in it. All the dietary meat obtained from meal is absorbed from the intestine and stored in the liver. The regulation of cholesterol level in the blood stream is done by the liver, as and when required. Cholesterol is secreted in the body as and when needed. There are two types of cholesterol in our body LDL and HDL. Through LDL or “Bad” cholesterol there remains the risk of coronary heart disease. HDL on the other hand can be described as “good cholesterol”. Fats can be classified as saturated and non-saturated. Meat and dairy products have the capability of having saturated fats in them and are able to raise blood cholesterol levels. Some vegetable oils made from palm, coconut and coca are rich in saturated fats.

Recently, a current report published in the Journal Lancet analyzed 13 different studies about satin drugs. It was revealed that popular cholesterol drugs like crestor and Lipiton possess the risk of developing diabetes. The research was done on 90,000 patients. The report has highlighted the seriousness of the side effects which doctors and researchers came to know only recently. The study revealed out of 1000 patients, who take satin drug for a year often develop diabetes while five other suffer from heart attack and death. One of the cardiologists Chris Cannon from Women’s Hospital in Boston suggested that during the course of the therapy, patients should be in strict observation by a specialist who is taking Satin drug regularly. Irrespective of being touted as life savings drugs Satin may cause serious negative side effects like diarrhea, nausea and irritability. It can also damage kidney and liver through its side effects.

Did you know if a patient is unable to control the high cholesterol level it can lead to building up of plaque around arteries, thus causing narrowing of walls which can boost heart attack and strokes in a patient? If a patient has been diagnosed with higher cholesterol level there are a few tips around through which he/she can control the cholesterol level. It is suggested to maintain a healthy weight. You can also start exercise, for this walk for 10 to 15 minutes daily for the first week and add five minutes daily so that you can reach until you walk for 45 to 60 minutes mostly.

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